Senator Eliot Shapleigh - El Paso, Texas

Along with the 21,000 children dropped from the rolls of the Children's Health Insurance Program in three months, another 79,000 have lost their Medicaid coverage. CPPP blames a perfect storm of factors for declines in Medicaid and CHIP.

Senator Shapleigh sees the development of 21st Century jobs as an ongoing process that starts with bringing new investment to El Paso and continues with expanding diverse economies, reducing health care costs, and supporting local businesses.

We hoped for a clear decision. Although all three Commissioners made clear that ASARCO failed to meet the requirements for a permit renewal, Texas law prevents the Commissioners from automatically denying that renewal.

People ask what drives a candidate's character before casting a vote? The answer lies in the substance of the vote itself. In this Republican Congress, it means tax cuts for the wealthy few and budget cuts for you.

The Washington Post recently obtained an undisclosed 73-page memo from six Justice Department lawyers and two analysts that clearly communicated that the proposed redistricting map

STATE education officials are busy figuring out the details of implementing Gov. Rick Perry's executive order that 65 percent of public school expenditures go to classroom instruction.

The Florida Supreme Court struck down a statewide voucher system Thursday that allowed children to attend private schools at taxpayer expense — a program Gov. Jeb Bush considered one of his proudest achievements.

Gov. Rick Perry, a Republican who has made outreach to Christian conservatives a theme of his gubernatorial portfolio, thinks Texas public school students should be taught intelligent design along with evolutionary theory, his office said Thursday.

Despite claims by conservative policy groups, statistical evidence shows that money does matter in education.

Senator Shapleigh's Adelante Con Ganas Campaign kicks off this week with great fanfare.

Senator Shapleigh's notes and observations will keep you updated on what is happening behind the scenes in Austin and El Paso.

Lobbying Plan Was Central to Republicans' Political Strategy; Abramoff was key to the 'K Street Project,' designed to extend the party's influence.

Abramoff to Help U.S. Probe of Legislators, Said to Number 4 So Far

Dallas Morning News editorial contributor William McKenzie discusses the subtle directive that the Legislature should address the amount of funding we are putting towards schools.

How many high-poverty and high-minority schools nationwide have high student performance? To answer that question, the Education Trust analyzed information from a massive new U.S. Department of Education database developed by the AIR.

The Democratic wave of election victories fell short of the banks of the Red River. That means Texas will remain firmly under the control of a "less-is-more" Republican leadership that loves to outsource whatever governmental functions it can't kill.

Confronting the possibility of a global catastrophe.

A look at Texas politics in 2005 and how the Republican leadership has struggled to meet the state's needs.

An irrational, secretive redistribution of millions of dollars robs Texas' poorest women of health care.

Before taking their Christmas break, the Senate voted to cut social service benefits. Despite service cuts and a looming national deficit, the Republican desire to cut taxes to the weathly still lingers.